Attachment for spades, shovels, and handles.



AMOS FOSSEL, OF GILBERTSTATION, IOWA.

ATTACHMENT FOR; SPADES, SHOVELS, AND HANDLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 14:, 1908.

Application filed July 16 1907- Serial ITO. 384:.02'7.

' State of Iowa, have invented new and useful Improvements in Attachments for Spades,

' said blade.

Shovels, and Handles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improved tamping device adapted to be detachably secured to the lower end of a spade, shovel or of a handle or the like, to enable such shovel, spade or other implement to be used as a tamp, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure 1 is an elevation of a spade with my improved tamp attached. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view of the same on a larger scale. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the tamp attachment. Fig. 4 is a detail top plan view of the same.

The tamping device 1 is a block of metal or other suitable material and providedin its upper portion with aslot 2,which extends l on gitudinally thereof and is adapted to receive the lowerend of the blade of a spade, shovel or the like implement. The said block is here shown as curved longitudinally to adapt it to conform to the shape of the blade of a spade or shovel, and its concaved side 3 also adapts the block to bear closely against a post or the like to enable the tamp to be used for tamping earth around such post. In the upper side of the block and communicating with the slot 2 is an opening 4 adapted for the reception of the lower end of a handle which may be directly attached to the said block.

In the outer side of the slot 2, at the center of the same, is the arm 5 of a clamping device 6 which also has an upper outwardly extending curved arm 7 that bears on the upper outer edge of the tamping block. A set screw 8 operates in a threaded opening in the said arm 7 and in the block 1 and is inclined, as shown in Fig. 2, the inner end of said set screw bearing against the outer side of the arm 5 of the tamping device and enabling the latter to be braced against the back of the shovel or spade blade so as-to firmly clamp the latter against one wall of the slot 2 and hence firmly secure the tamping block to the It will be observed that the arm 5 of the clamping device is directly opposite the opening 4, sov thatwhen the lower end of a handle is in such opening the said arm 5 is adapted to be braced against such handle to secure the tamping block firmly thereto. The lower side of the tamping block is here shown as slightly concaved, as at 9.

It will be understood that my improved tamping block may be attached at will to a spade or the like device employed in digging post holes, so that after the post hole has been dug, the post placed thereon and the earth shoveled back into the hole, the tamping block may be attached to the spade or shovel and used in connection therewith for tamping the earth firmly about such post.

My improved tamping attachment for shovels or the like may also be used for other analogous purposes.

Havingthus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

1. A tamping block having a slot in its upper side for the reception of the lower end of a shovel'blade, and an opening for the reception of the lower end of a handle.

2. A tamping block having a slot in its upper side for the reception of the lower end of a shovel blade, and an opening for the re ception of the lower end of a handle, such opening communicating with the slot.

3. A tamping block having a slot in its upper side for the reception of the lower end of a shovel blade, an opening for the reception of the lower end of a handle, such opening communicating with the slot, and a clamping device in such slot and opposite such opening, for the purpose set forth.

4. A tamping block having a slot in its upper side for the reception of the lower end of a shovel blade, an opening for the reception of the lower end of a handle, such opening communicating with the slot, and a clamping device in such slot and opposite such opening, such clamping device having a set screw for operating the same.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AMOS FOSSEL.

Witnesses WILLIAM H. TOTTEN, MAYME WILSON. 

